MBTI Crying in Movies

stranger5 asked: “you’ve talked before about how Fe and Fi cry in movies for different reasons. Does function hierarchy also affect whether/why a person will cry in a movie. say, would T types be less likely to cry in movies than F types? Also, are F types more drawn to emotional movies than Ts?”

Or, I should say question[s]. Shall we work through them one by one?

Function Hierarchy

Function hierarchy does have a certain degree of affect on whether someone will cry in a movie, but it isn’t necessarily consistent for everyone.

Quite frequently, you’ll have two Te doms in the same movie theatre –one will remain unaffected emotionally and the other will tear up and get embarrassed about it. Likewise, there are plenty of F types that cry relatively little in response to movies.

You’ve got to keep in mind that type doesn’t exactly determine your emotional intelligence. Some T types have really well developed F functions. Some may simply have a higher percentage of F function in use in their brain than others.

However, in general, you can say that yes, F types are more likely to cry in movies (likelihood isn’t everything).

Are F types more drawn to emotional movies than Ts?”

For this one, I’ll give you a flat out “No,” but then I’m going to go the long-route in explaining why.

I’m an INTJ who happens to be drawn to intensely tragic, emotional movies. To my family, my obsession with these types of movies comes across as cold and slightly disturbing.

I watched The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas with an ENFP, an ESFP and an ISTJ. Following the movie, the ENFP went and cried in private while the two others just sat and stared at the blank screen for twenty minutes trying to process what they had just watched.

I wanted to watch it again. They told me I was a robot.

However, the reasons I’m drawn to emotional movies have nothing to do with the fact that I have an upper T function and more to do with the fact that my lower F function is well developed.

MBTI type has little to do with how much on-screen emotional agony a person can put up with. On the other hand, function hierarchy and level of development will definitely play into it.

If a T-type has a poorly developed F function, they are unlikely to enjoy or even care about emotional movies or films with moral subtones. On the other hand, a T-type with a well developed F function is likely going to be naturally preoccupied with ideas about morality and emotion.